Flush-tank.



R. G. FERGUSON.

FLUSH TANK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1911.

1,01 7,524. Patented Feb. 13,'1912.

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R. G. FERGUSON.

PLUSH TANK.

Y APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1911. 1,01 7,524. Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

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ROBERT GEORGE FERGUSON, 0F LAKEWOOD, 'NEW JERSEY.

FLUSH-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 1, 1911.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 624,320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT GEORGE FER- GUSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Ocean and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flush-Tanks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in flush tanks.

One object of the invention is to provide a flush tank having an improved construction and arrangement of valve and means for opening the same, said valve closing automatically and noiselessly when water is discharged from the tank.

Another object is to provide a discharge valve for iush tanks which will be simple, strong and durable in construction, eficient and reliable in operation and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view,the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a tank showing my improved water discharging mechanism arranged therein,said mechanism being shown in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of a flush tank and valve embodying my invention; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the valve is being opened.or lifted from its seat; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the crank shaft for operating the valve lifting piston.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a flush tank which is of closed or air tight construction and may be of any desired size andshape. In the center of the upper side of the tank is formed an opening 2 which is normally closed by a plug 8 and which is provided to permit access to the tank for the insertion or removal of certain of the operating parts thereof. In the lower side of the tank is formed a discharge opening 4 with which is connected the upper end of a discharge nipple 5 through which the water from t-he tank is discharged. The upper end of the nipple 5 is reduced and threaded and eX- tends up into the tank a short distance and is threaded eXteriorly as shown. On the threaded inner end of the nipple is screwed the lower end of a tubular valve cage or guide 6 in the lower end of which immediately above the inner end of the nipple is formed an annular row of water discharging passages 7.

On the inner side of the extension of the upper end of the nipple 5 is formed a curved valve seat 8 which is adapted to be engaged with a spherical valve 9, said valve preferably consisting of a hollow ball formed of copper or other suitable metal and having a covering of rubber or similar material whereby said valve is adapted to form a water tight engagement with its seat. In the upper portion of the nipple 5 below the valve seat 8 is formed a second valve seat 10 with which is adapted to be engaged a supplemental valve 11 the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. The lower end of the nipple 5 is threaded internally and externally and within the internally threaded end of the nipple is screwed a guide bar 12 having formed therein a centrally disposed guide passage 13 with which is slidably engaged the lower end of a valve lifting plunger 14, the upper end of which has formed thereon a head 15 which, when the plunger is lifted is adapted to be brought into engagement with the ball valve and the latter lifted from its seat 8 thereby permitting the water to flow from the tank through the discharge passages 7 in the valve cage 6 and beneath the lifted valve thereby causing the latter to float upwardly in the cage 6, said valve gradually lowering as the water is drawn from the tank until it again comes into engagement with its seat in which position it is held by the suction on the lower side thereof through the nipple 5.

The plunger 14 is retracted by a coiled spring 16, arranged thereon and having its lower end engaged with or resting on a cross pin 17 arranged through the plunger as shown. The supplemental valve 11 is looselyomounted on the upper end of the plunger 14 and is supported and operated by the spring 16 whereby when the plunger is raised to lift the valve 9 the supplemental valve 11 will be brought into engagement with its seat and the discharge nipple thus momentarily closed while the valve 9 is being lifted and floats to the top of its cage 6. As soon as the plunger rod is released the spring 16 will retract the same and will allow the valve 11 to open and thus discharge the water from the tank through the nipple 5.

The plunger rod may be operated to lift the valve in any suitable manner, said rod being here shown as operated by means of a crank shaft 18, which is revolubly mounted in a bearing sleeve 19 formed on one side of the nipple 5 and communicating with the latter. On the ends of the sleeve 19 are arranged stuiing boXes 2() and 21 whereby a Huid tight joint is formed between one end of the sleeve and the projecting end of the crank shaft and between the other end of the sleeve, the shaft, and an air conducting pipe 22 hereinafter described. On the crank shaft 18 'and projecting right angularly through the communicating?" opening between the sleeve 19 and the nipple 5 is a loop 23 which when the crank shaft is rocked, will engage the, cross pin 17 and lift the plunger 14, thereby closing the supplemental valve 11 and lifting the valve 9 from its seat. On the outer end of the shaft 18 is arranged a crank handle 24 to which may be connected any suitable operating rods or other devices.

In the inner end of the crank shaft 18 is formed an air conducting passage 25 which connects the nipple 5 with the air conducting pipe 22. The upper end of the pipe 22 extends into the tank 1 to a point near the top of the same as shown. By this arrangement air is permitted to pass from the nipple 5 up into the upper portion of the tank, thus breaking the Vacuum which would interfere with the discharge of the water therefrom. In the air pipe 22 is a valve casing 26 in which is arranged a check valve 27, whereby water from the tank is prevented from passing through the pipe 22 into the nipple. The tank 1 is Provided at a suitable point with an inlet passage 28 with which is adapted to be connected a water supply pipe whereby the pressure of the water in the tank will be the same as that in the water main or supply pipe.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring 'a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with an air tight flush tank provided with a threaded opening in its bottom, of a nipple threaded into said opening and projecting into the tank, the inward projecting portion of the nipple being formed into a float-valve seat and being externally threaded, a vertical valve casing within the tank, extending from near the top thereof and threaded upon the inn ward projection of the nipple, a fioat valve in the casing adapted to engage the seat, a vertical, spring retracted plunger slidably mounted in the nipple, a valve seat formed in the nipple, a valve slidable on the plunger and normally held up against the seat, and means for raising the plunger and thereby simultaneously raising the ioat valve off its seat and pressing the supplemental valve against its seat.

2. In an air tightliush tank, a discharge nipple having its inner end projecting into the tank, a seat formed on the inner upper end of said nipple, a valve cage in the tank, rigidly secured to the inner end of the nipple and having near its lower end an annular series of water discharge passages, a valve in the casing adapted to normally rest on said seat and close said discharge passages, a spring retracted plunger slidably mounted in the nipple, a supplemental valve slidable upon said plunger and normally held closed by the spring, a crank shaft revolubly mounted on said nipple, means on the shaft projecting into the nipple into engagement with the plunger whereby when the shaft is rocked the plunger will be raised and the valve on the upper end of theA nipple lifted from its seat and the supplemental valve raised into contact with its seat and means whereby the vacuum caused by the discharge of the water from the tank is broken.

3. In an air tight flush tank, a discharge nipple connected to and projecting into the tank, a valve seat formed on the projecting inner end of the nipple, an automatically closing valve adapted to engage said seat, a spring retracted plunger' adapted to lift said valve from its seat, a bearing sleeve formed on said nipple and communicating therewith, a crank shaft revolubly mounted in said sleeve, said shaft having in one end an air passage, a plunger engaging member arranged on said shaft, and adapted to engage and rest on said plunger and thereby lift said valve from its seat, an air pipe extending into said tank and connected at its outer end with one end of said bearing sleeve adjacent to the end of the crank my hand in presence of two subscribing shaft having said passage whereby air is witnesses.

pern'ltted t0 pass int() the tank. thereby breaking the vacuum therein when the wa- 5 ter is discharged and a cheek valve ar- /Vitnesses:

ranged in said ail` pipe. W. C. OLEARY,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set Y F. N. TODD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ye cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

